Il Grifone

Our cats take delight in knocking the wagons over!

I have two: one with 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' as a paper sticker and one with it embossed, Both eccentrically have the number 7118 which was changed in 1928. I suppose it was modelled from a photo, which would explain some of the other eccentricities. I am afraid poor Hardwicke is doomed to the dustbin of history, another victim of the dreaded pest.

Resistance controllers need to be matched to the motor and even then don't work very well. The better H &M controllers were variable transformers. The s the motor much better low series resisatnce control or probably even better considering the age of the units a modern solid state device. (Says he who uses a Powermaster and Dublo Marshal 3s. They will tame either Hornby motor. DO NOT USE any TRS mains cables! Their 'use by date' was at least forty years ago.

The plastic brush holder is the weak spot of the motor bogie, I have fitted wire brush supports in the past. The complicated (and difficult and expensive to obtain) earthing collar can happily be dispensed with and the wiring done the same as the other side. This has the happy result of the frame not being live to one of the rails. I am aware that the Tri-ang wheels are undersized. The problem would be fitting the correct size, It's not very noticeable behind the thick chunk of metal which passes for a bogie frame. Early Peco Streamline had wide flange gaps (1.6mm I believe) to accomodate Tri-ang wheels. They have been tightened up over the years. Replacing the lot with proper metal rails is the answer.

I have been told that one of the puppies has found a forever home ☺️

Having found where the computer had hidden our photos (still can't find the original slides!), I can now post our second dog Leda. We always called her a Belgian Shepherd, but as a rescue dog* we have no proof of this. This must be the early 90s in Liguria. (I edited myself out - I am sure no one here is interested in me dressed for the beach!) She was really SWMBO's dog and, if she went out without her, she would dash out on to the balcony howling loudly! Once she went into a shop and tethered Leda to a huge wheelie bin outside (four wheeled communal rubbish device). She dragged it up onto the pavement! *Following the trauma when Duke passed on, I said, "No more Dogs!" Needless to say I found Astrid and her cousin outside the door. "Look what we've got!" Cue arrival in the family of a large black dog! *

It's an interesting idea, but the first problem I can see is that fitting larger wheels will raise the already excessive buffer height, even if there is sufficient clearance which I doubt. Romford wheels and axles always were expensive and today you need a mortgage! There are two types of gear. The brass type can be persuaded to come off their axles, but the plastic type are all one piece with the axle. I have reamed out Dublo rolling stock wheels to fit these in the past, The zinc alloy type have a better profile and are easier to work than the later sintered iron version (if you can call abrupt right angles a profile!) Alternatively bushes are available to reduce the bore diameter to 2mm for standard rolling stock wheels and axles,

I had the K's 97xx. I tried to convert it to a 57xx and that was the end of that! It wasn't the cleverest choice for a body kit. There were only a few and restricted to the London area! I must finish my 4mm one. It fits on a Dublo R1 chassis for some unknown reason. It is for my 'Uxbridge Road' Layout,which is on hold* at the moment. This was to be modelled as if the link from the West London Line to the Hammersmith and City was still in operation. Four rail track would then allow me to run anything. They did a large Prairie tank too. I gather a Tri-ang Castle chassis required some serious chopping. * Nothing new there where my projects are concerned! So many trains, so little time,

Dublo paint is particularly tough.

Daughter's friend has some new additions to the family!

I was going to post but got distracted by the wine ad "Wine pairs with wellness" (the comely lass caught my attention - as was intended!), but I cannot disagree with the message - if I could only convince SWMBO! Of course the best wine is Italian, especially Sardinian! Anyway as I was going to say before I was interrupted, these things were part of my childhood and, despite their limitations*, highly desirable. It only took me someting like sixty years to get my EMU! (Forty something for the DMU!). Todays youth won't have that possibility. Today's stuff won't still be around! * I won't bother listing these it would take too long! The grotty wheels make a lovely clattering noise like the real thing.... Is it just me or does the NG train in the ad have just two speeds - stop and flat out - well above what the prototype could do, leaving aside the probability falling off the rails. Distracted by the computer opening a new page to try and sell me a Lexus. What on earth would I want one of those for?

Too true! We never did find the skink ours brought in! I thought it was dead, but, when I went to pick it up, it shot off at great speed, never to be seen again. I trust none of them ate it, as they are definitely not good for cats (or dogs). Lizards, especially geckos, are great favourites, but as long as it moves.... Continuing the menagerie, from 2014, this is Ty who used to be boss cat of the whole neighbourhood, He could well be Maurice's father, but there don't seem to be traces of Siamese in either him or his son Toby. He used to appear every year as soon when we came on holiday, but one year he didn't and Maurice had taken over, so we feared the worst.

He's lucky! It's all in one piece!

I'm assuming this is one of the older chassis with solid or multi-spoked wheels (easy recognised as they seem to have been pinched from a steam roller). The 'see-through spokes' also have a horrible square profile. The sparking looks like it's the tip of the coupling rod screw sticking out of the back of the wheel and touching the frame or possibly the wheel itself. It could be pressed too far onto the axle . It may be enough to just ease it out slightly, but the bush could be damaged or disintegrated. There are two types of bush one for the old Tri-ang wheels and a different one for the Hornby wheels (see below). My solution is to replace the lot with the later Hornby wheels with 15 spokes (correct for a Jinty) which allow the locomotive to run on code 100 trackwork. Replacing the metal gears with the later plastic ones reduces the drive ratio from 20:1 to 28:1 which helps to curb her jack rabbit take off. There are two types intended for what I call the 'Front axle drive' and the 'SSPP' chassis*, They can be mixed as the throw is the same, but the balance weights are different covering four or five spokes, This also saves having to bush the frames and drive gear intended for 9/16" axles for 1/8", which almost everbody else uses. * I won't say what I call this, but it isn't complimentary!

It will be the source resistance in the Controller, Tri-ang X.04s (etc,) draw somthing over half an amp on full load, whereas the Jouef motors require rather less, Their pulling power reflects this. The answer is a variable transformer controller or some complicated transistor device.

I always thought they were a 'look alike, but not very' of something SNCF. I've a couple of green clockwork ones. Occasionally they get wound up and let go. Painting the buffer* beam red improves the appearance immensely. *I won't translate this! I've a Jouef French* Pacific with the flyweel motor in a drawer, in need of TLC, but way down the list. Elle marche, mais.... * As in she's clearly French, but of indefinite antecedents. EDIT This one: http://lestrainsjouef.free.fr/en/vap_fra/231c_sncf.html Mine is the black plastic effort.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/118104-re-magnetisation/ By coincidence I found a construction article on a remagnetiser the other day. Now of course I can't find it! IIRC it involves several turns of thick wire and a car battery, but generates about 15,000 gauss to ensure magnetisation to the required 10,000. All figures approximate! I will look again! https://www.slotforum.com/threads/re-magnetizing.12282/ I did find it - Model Engineer 2 April 199? It's titled "A Simple Magnetiser", but involves 1/4" Tufnol and 1/2" iron bar, so not so simple and talks of 110A current draw requiring thick wire - This explains why I never built it!

I'm pleased to find there are actually plenty of TT Jinties about. Perhaps not actually looking for one, I didn't notice. I had two. I think one still works and the other is in bits. They were converted* to a GWR '517' and '633' way back (Like mid-sixties), but have been in a box for years. I must investigate when I get back to Italy.... *As in 'very approximately'! I assume that's the BR (LNER design) brake van rather than the GWR one. (My GWR van must be in that box too.)

Merit (Now part of the Peco empire), do coal sacks. They are a bit long but wire cutters with solve that! It depends on the period (they are now probably plastic) rather than sackcloth, but scruffy grey/black is about right. Somehow this missed being posted earlier - probably my fault

You are not suggesting that pound shop superglue is rubbish by any chance, are you! (If so, I agree 100%!) That white grease is deadly. It kept us busy repairing VCRs back in the day. Rivarossi Memories refers to it as 'Grasso-Torrone' (Grease - Superior* Italian version of Nougat.) (*At least Italians think so....) http://www.rivarossi-memory.it/Tecnica/Grasso_Torrone_ALC420/Grasso_anni_90.htm (Sorry only Italian - Google Translate) The English part of the site only extends to model descriptions and was last updated in 2012! I could help, but... (So many trains! So little time!)

A slippery slope! (says he, surrounded by unfinished projects!). The Reidpath body is rather small, being originally H0, but maybe a carved up Tri-ang Princess chassis fitted with smaller wheels? or a TT Jinty with extended axles? (A bit 'hen's teeth' though!)

Mine is waiting for her new bearings from Wrenn. I will probably replace the bottom bearing as well, then she will have new motor bearings and pass on the old one to the N2 chassis. I have a stock of the small top bearings but they are no use for the 4MT block. The top bearing supposedly did not require oiling, but I assume even Meccano Ltd. didn't expect them to still be around almost 70 years on. (My first one is 69 this year!) Make sure she runs in reverse! The 4MT must be the only model with Walschaerts gear set in full reverse. They are usually set in mid-gear. With lesser makes this is understandable! Waffle alert! On larger things, sorting through my small (in number. not size!) Hornby O gauge collection, i selected my rather sad (but perfectly functional!) M1 0-4-0 with a view to restoration. She had a rather thick layer of green paint when I acquired her and I thought she needed a little care and attention. I have always thought that these things looked a bit on the puny side. but skimming through the book on Hornby I got from the library*, I saw the French version: Bright red with smoke deflectors. Apart from having the coupling/connecting rod fitted upside down, otherwise it is much the same as the British version, but the blinkers make all the difference. So I've made some for mine (having smoothed down the green and replaced the missing handrails). Unfortunately she lacks a tender and has to make do with a Brimtoy one. This is also bright red, but in far too good a condition to repaint. Now I either have to source the proper tender or I could repaint the engine red (they came in red or green anyway) to match and pass her off as Hogwarts Express (or something!). Even more waffle alert! * Chelmsford! We used to be able to return books to any library, but no longer. So I will have to go back there. Oh well another day out ! At least the bus is free Or rather the three buses are free. There used to be a through service Grays to Chelmsford, but now we have to change at Basildon (Great "New Town" of the immediate post-war period; now being knocked down and rebuilt! Likewise across the river. I was intending to go a toyfair in Orpington, but the Bluewater (bus from Grays) to Orpington bus now only runs fom Dartford and not at all on Sunday, It seems there is one Bluewater to Sidcup and another then to Orpington, so hoping for the best! At least a day out again!

Glad to report that the bits box(es) came up trumps and supplied my 4MT with a magnet (The correct long version) an armature, (o/c winding needed repair (first I had to repair the (new) soldering iron - twisted wires insulated with tape are a recipe for failure especially at 230V.- Soldered and reinsulated but i will have to do the job properly!). Now all I have to procure is the armature top bearing. Unfortunately looking for bits, I also found a bare N2 block crying out for attention too. One of the axle holes is rather oval and requires bushing. Sorry I have rather strayed away from NER V4 brake vans. Yes I do have some.... I also have a Hornby 0 gauge tinplate version in dark brown GNR livery. It will be celebrating its hundreth birthday about now. It's not unlike the V4 van, being rather short, with verandas each end, but lacks the duckets. One of these, but mine has rather better and more delicate axleguards, https://auctions.specialauctionservices.

She's a cat....

She'd look better on HD 2 rail track*. One of mine is sitting on the coffee table (on some sort of H0 rubbish that just happened to be to hand) in front of me as I write. This poor girl has had a hard life (before she came my way I hasten to add) and needs a new armature (as in hasn't got one) - I'll have to see what the bits box can supply. *3 rail would be appropriate, but for display it looks awful. I was about 5 and the proud owner of new Dublo (6231) when I first realised that it looked nothing like the real thing.